The Burnside Triangle, also known as Pink Triangle or Vaseline Alley, was a triangular district in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

, United States, known for its relatively higher density of

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...

and gay-friendly businesses.

Description and history

The Burnside Triangle was centered on Southwest

Stark Street Stark Street is an east-west-running street in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The street is named after Benjamin Stark, and Southeast Stark Street and Southwest Stark Street are divided by the Willamette River. In late 2017, activists pr ...

and comprises a triangular set of city blocks that anchors the north end and acts as a welcoming space to the district drawing visitors throughout the region to many different meeting spots, including bars and nightclubs. The

gay liberation The gay liberation movement was a social and political movement of the late 1960s through the mid-1980s that urged lesbians and gay men to engage in radical direct action, and to counter societal shame with gay pride.Hoffman, 2007, pp.xi-xiii ...

, lesbian feminism, and the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s helped bring attention to the problems faced by the people in the

community. Before this period, they had no civil rights or protections in employment, housing, or public accommodations. In addition, gay, bisexual, and transgender people did not have advocacy programs in their community; therefore, they constituted a largely invisible population. However, Burnside Triangle helped those in the LGBT community feel as though they were not invisible by providing bars and clubs as social gatherings. The Burnside Triangle housed a combination of gay-friendly businesses such as independent shops, restaurants, housing, and social services. The Burnside Triangle was also known for their gay bars, including the infamous Three Sisters (now closed), Silverado, Scandals, and Boxxes (now closed). In 2007, in an article about Portland's appeal to "queer travelers" (particularly lesbians), '' The Advocate'' noted that men dominate the bars and nightclubs along Stark Street and the Burnside Triangle. In 2008, ''

Willamette Week ''Willamette Week'' (''WW'') is an alternative weekly newspaper and a website published in Portland, Oregon, United States, since 1974. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business, and culture. History Early history ''Willame ...

'' said the

Downtown Portland Downtown Portland is the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is on the west bank of the Willamette River in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found ...

district "underwent a complete renaissance and is now thoroughly established as an LGBT enclave stretching over several energetic city blocks. The influence of Burnside spreads into nearby neighborhoods including the

Pearl District The Pearl District is an area of Portland, Oregon, formerly occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad classification yards and now noted for its art galleries, upscale businesses and residences. The area has been undergoing significan ...

(a former industrial section of old Portland that now booms with art and commerce) and the rather upscale and upbeat Northwest neighborhood."

References

External links

Burnside Triangle planning group takes shape
by Lee Scopel (March 6, 2002), ''

Daily Journal of Commerce The ''Daily Journal of Commerce'' (DJC) is a U.S. newspaper published Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Portland, Oregon. It features business, construction, real estate, legal news and public notices. It is a member of American Court & Commercial ...

''
Burnside's changes -- east and west
Ryan Frank (October 25, 2007), ''

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 18 ...

''
Getting down in downtown: Portland's central city is the weekend home to late-night revelers
by Kate Loftesness (September 17, 2010), ''The Oregonian'' {{coord, 45.5218, -122.6819, type:landmark_region:US-OR_source:googlemapssatellite, display=title Gay villages in the United States LGBT culture in Portland, Oregon LGBT history in Oregon Neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon